I've Never Cried

Chapter Seventy-one - "How It Ends." (Finale)

"I've Never Cried"

Chapter Seventy-one

"How It Ends"

Scene...

At the courthouse

Joe's POV

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman together in holy matrimony."

Demi stood before me, her hands tucked into mine. The closed-lipped smile she wore on her face was warm and reassuring, but not for a second did it peel back my nerves.

Nick stood behind Demi, both his hands joined together across his hips. 

"Do the two of you bear a witness?" The judge asked. Demi took her gaze away from mine and glanced up at the man behind the stand in his black robe.

"Yes, your honor," she mumbled, nodding toward Nick. "Nicholas Jonas."

Nick nodded in agreement, and the judge waved his hand as he began reading off the vows.

"Demetria Devonne Lovato, do you take this man, Joseph Adam Jonas, to be your lawfully wedded husband, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, 'til death do you part?"

Demi looked at me, beaming that large white smile of hers.

"I do."

"And do you, Joseph Adam Jonas, take this woman, Demetria Devonne Lovato, to be your lawfully wedded wife, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, 'till death do you part?"

Her eyes.

Her hair.

Her freckles.

Her skin.

Her lips.

Her.

A perfectly imperfect bundle of insurmountable obstacles, cloaked by everything that was Demi. She was the love of my life.

We had moved so quickly; faced far too many obstacles for our short time together. We had become everything either one of us had ever been afraid of, and yet somehow, there we stood, hand in hand, uttering two words that would lock us together for the rest of our lives.

"I do," I grinned.

Nothing about our wedding was romantic, or special, or even worth retelling. 

And that was what made it perfect.

Our wedding reflected everything we had never planned to happen in our lives. It was the product of yet another moment too soon. I loved her too soon. I missed her too soon. I strayed too soon. She forgave me too soon. And we married too soon. 

And it was everything we needed.

"As decreed by the state of California, you are now husband and wife," the judge said bluntly. With that, he banged his gavel and left his stand.

"Well," Nick sighed, approaching the both of us and placing a hand on each of our shoulders. "Congrats."

Demi was quick to wrap him in a hug.

"Thank you," she said, squeezing him tightly. "For just being here."

"Anything for you, Dem," he chuckled, releasing her. "Joe, mom's gonna be so pissed."

I laughed, lightly punching his shoulder.

"She'll be fine. I'll make it up to her." I smiled then, shaking his hand. "Thanks, bro."